I work in the field of wellness coaching and trauma release exercise (TRE). I am based in Johannesburg, South Africa. I consult in person and online.

Treating or diagnosing mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are beyond my scope of practice. I am a counsellor who offers a paid service to provide empathetic and non-judgemental listening and emotional support.

People who can benefit from my services include those who are lonely and socially or physically isolated, or those who are bereaved and left without a companion to talk to. I have experieneced major grief myself.

People who come from dysfunctional families or are facing a life transition and circumstantial challenges can also benefit from wellness coaching. In addition, as a disabled person, I relate well to people with chronic or terminal illness.

I cannot help people who have – or suspect they may have – underlying mental health issues. A clinical psychologist or psychiatrist should be consulted in such cases.

I help my clients break down their life challenges into manageable steps and goals. This is the essence of coaching. I am familiar with the patterns of trauma and recovery from trauma, which can form part of the process of coaching and support.

I refer clients to medical practitioners or psychologists when necessary. My focus is on coaching, wellness counselling, and teaching mindful practices and meditation techniques.

I am also a qualified TRE provider.

My limited focus is suited to my scope of practice as I am not a registered healthcare practitioner. Finally, in my spare time, I am writing a book on trauma recovery and pain management, with a spiritual orientation.

My education

My undergraduate degrees were in psychology and English. My master’s degree (Wits, 2006) was in research psychology. I studied the measurement of resilience as an aspect of the personality.

In 2018, I qualified as a TRE provider, and three years later I completed a certificate course in trauma counselling. In addition to my training in Dr Berceli’s famous TRE methodology, I draw from the work of Liz Koch, Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kalk, Stephen Porges and other global experts in trauma recovery.

Buddhist influences

I follow several Buddhist practices and respect Eastern philosophy. I lived and worked at Buddhist retreat centre for six years (2003-2009) and completed my master’s dissertation during that time. Today, I work with traditional Eastern knowledge as well as Western therapeutic systems in my counselling and coaching.

Buddhist practices have contributed greatly to Western psychology, including trauma recovery and stress management. Mindfulness and radical acceptance are concepts that trace back to the Eastern traditions. Breath meditation is another Buddhist practice that is used by some psychologists.

Brain studies by Bessel van der Kalk and his team showed that the brain centres that are developed by these kinds of practices are also involved in trauma recovery and self-regulation.

My healing work also draws from the chakra system, a part of the Vedic tradition with Buddhist and Hindu aspects. The chakras are viewed as energy centres that connect the spiritual dimension of human beings to our physical bodies. This is a metaphysical energy concept. Interestingly, there are major nerve connections and endocrine glands at the relevant points in our bodies.

Disclaimer

I am not a registered healthcare practitioner, and my fees are not covered by medical aids. I provide an educational, experiential, and emotional support service only.